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THE BIJOU: International Footnote

10:53 PM | Labels: , , , , , , ,

There's been quite a bit written in the last few years about the phenomenon of US films doing much better business overseas than domestically, sometimes more than making up for American disappointment or failure--and rightly so, as a glance at Mitch Metcalf's chart today confirms.  Indications are that the latest Harry Potter and Transformers sagas may end up doubling their US boxoffice overseas, Kung Fu Panda 2 has done even better than that, and the international results from Pirates 4 make up an incredible 76% of its worldwide total.  

Just as striking, though, are the different results once beyond the Top 10.  The "bonus" foreign grosses on the Top 10 films over their US boxoffice may ultimately exceed $2B, making foreign distribution look like hitting the lottery.  But the discrepancy is incredibly top-heavy:  after those gigantic animated and fantasy-action franchises are cleared away (7 of the Top 10 are in 3D), things are quite different.  Not one of the films ranked 11-20 on the SHOWBUZZDAILY chart has grossed more than $35M higher internationally than its total in the US.  A few of those, to be sure (Captain America is the most obvious) are still very early in their foreign runs.  But most of them, like Green Hornet, Just Go With It, Rango, and Battle:  Los Angeles are pretty much exhausted worldwide, and none did a tremendous amount more overseas than they had at home.  Even Bridesmaids and Super 8 have now played in more than half the world, with results that are currently below their respective US grosses.

All this suggests that studios hoping for international bonanzas to bail them out of soft US boxoffice are taking a big risk:  while foreign audiences respond to the "event" status of a few mega-movies--fulfilling studio dreams by seemingly having little regard for their quality--that charity doesn't extend to the lower, or even the middle, parts of the release schedule.  Most movies that look like frogs on their US release don't transform into princes just because they've been kissed overseas.

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[2011.08.01] MYOLIE WU REMAINS BY JOHNNIE TO'S SIDE

5:49 PM | Labels: , , ,

courtesy of singtao.com


Since Charmaine Sheh Si Man left TVB, Myolie Wu Hung Yi has been considered one of the top actresses to take her place. Earlier TVB even arranged for her to appear on the big screen. First she guest starred in BEGINNING OF THE GREAT REVIVAL, recently she also worked on the Johnnie To Kei Fung directed new film LIFE WITHOUT PRINCIPLE (DUET MING GUM). With the golden opportunity in front of her, Hung Yi did not take a step away from To Sir. When she was not in a scene, she would rather stay on the set!

Hung Yi was the happiest about the chance to work with big director To Kei Fung on his new film LIFE WITHOUT PRINCIPLE. The film starred Lau Ching Wan, Anthony Wong Chau Sun and Richie Jen (Yam Yin Chai). Its production took over 2 years to prepare for, Hung Yi in the film played Yam Yin Chai's wife.

Reportedly Hung Yi valued working with To Sir very much. Every time at work she would only be early and never late. She would commit her lines to memory. Earlier when they shot on location at a Happy Valley property agency, Hung Yi arrived early. At the time To Sir was still scouting the location and the worker told her that since the production would not officially start until a hour later she should eat first. However Hung Yi shook her head to decline and then went to the bakery next door for some buns.

Hung Yi returned to the store in less than 5 minutes, stayed in To Sir's sight as she ate and waited while she seriously studied the script. When the shoot began, Hung Yi dragged a child actor around. To Sir often instructed her on how to take her marks. Hung Yi's performance did not disappoint To Sir either, after three takes she was OK. In comparison, Yam Yin Chai who has worked with To Sir countless times was much more relaxed. When he was not in a scene he was chatting and laughing with the crew!

Hung Yi also posted her photo with To Sir online. "LIFE WITHOUT PRINCIPLE has finally wrapped. Thank you To Sir for giving me this rare chance to play a little woman. I am very glad about gaining a lot of valuable experience this time!" Hung Yi revealed that she learned a lot from To Sir and witnessed him yelling at someone, luckily she was not on the receiving end. Before making this film, To Sir asked her to wipe away her previous acting and play this little woman role in an all new way. At the same times she even complimented him as a good director who would instruct actors from the heart. He even caught small gestures that she did not recognize, like snickering and blinking while delivering her lines. Hung Yi was very appreciative and hoped to have a chance to work with To Sir again in the future.

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The Help (Book Review)

5:46 PM | Labels: , , ,

Photobucket

Book: The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Reason to read: July selection for the Book to Film Club

I'm trying to remember how I first heard about The Help and my memory is failing me. It's been a lock with the film club from early on as it's been very positively received and one of the few titles that had a summer release date (I really thought there would be more but I guess smishing robots and aliens kind of take over the screens). Because of it's huge popularity it took ages to get from my local library, but as luck would have it arrived just in time to start reading in July and captured my attention very quickly. I was worried about dropping the ball with my reading during July due to my recent move, but that turned out to be no worry at all as once I became quickly enraptured by the characters and their stories.

Set in 1960's Mississippi and told from the perspective of several different narrators, the film has a very unique tone & feel to it. The focus is on the lives of African American women and their experiences and challenges working as maids in white households, from caring for the children to cooking amazing-sounding food to dealing with racial tension at almost every step. That was one of my hesitations in reading the book, as prejudice of any kind gets me angry and sad about the whole world. But, one of my goals for the Book to Film Club was to encourage people to stretch their literary comfort zones, so it was only fair if I stretched mine as well. I'm glad I did as The Help deals with complicated, tense, life-altering and dangerous situations with tact, dignity and truthfulness at every step. The stories and characters felt earnest and rich, and I felt for them in their troubles and their triumphs. The book drew me in pretty quickly, but did take a bit to win me over, but when it did I was complete hooked and looked forward to any moment I could get back to reading it - and I finished it two whole weeks before schedule!

I'm really looking forward to the film and seeing the characters brought to life as they are what makes the book so special. I especially loved character interaction moments like seeing little Mae Mobley and seeing her through the eyes of Aibileen, or the awkward relationship between Minny and Celia. Because the film will certainly be condensed, I wonder what they will trim away. Considering the impressive casting of Aibileen (Viola Davis), Minny (Octavia Spencer), Skeeter (Emma Stone of Paper Man), Celia (Jessica Chastain from The Tree of Life) and Hilly (Bryce Dallas Howard from Hereafter and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse), I'm stumped at what they will let go of but I'm thrilled to see a strong female ensemble cast and to see a book and film filled with womens stories. The film adaptation is Adapted & directed by Tate Taylor (Pretty Ugly People) and will be released August 10, 2011. I'm really looking forward to seeing the adaptation.

If you haven't yet joined the Book to Film Club, you can join us at any time. Sign up for updates here. Our August 2011 book is The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas.

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The Help (Book Review)

5:46 PM | Labels: , , ,

Photobucket

Book: The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Reason to read: July selection for the Book to Film Club

I'm trying to remember how I first heard about The Help and my memory is failing me. It's been a lock with the film club from early on as it's been very positively received and one of the few titles that had a summer release date (I really thought there would be more but I guess smishing robots and aliens kind of take over the screens). Because of it's huge popularity it took ages to get from my local library, but as luck would have it arrived just in time to start reading in July and captured my attention very quickly. I was worried about dropping the ball with my reading during July due to my recent move, but that turned out to be no worry at all as once I became quickly enraptured by the characters and their stories.

Set in 1960's Mississippi and told from the perspective of several different narrators, the film has a very unique tone & feel to it. The focus is on the lives of African American women and their experiences and challenges working as maids in white households, from caring for the children to cooking amazing-sounding food to dealing with racial tension at almost every step. That was one of my hesitations in reading the book, as prejudice of any kind gets me angry and sad about the whole world. But, one of my goals for the Book to Film Club was to encourage people to stretch their literary comfort zones, so it was only fair if I stretched mine as well. I'm glad I did as The Help deals with complicated, tense, life-altering and dangerous situations with tact, dignity and truthfulness at every step. The stories and characters felt earnest and rich, and I felt for them in their troubles and their triumphs. The book drew me in pretty quickly, but did take a bit to win me over, but when it did I was complete hooked and looked forward to any moment I could get back to reading it - and I finished it two whole weeks before schedule!

I'm really looking forward to the film and seeing the characters brought to life as they are what makes the book so special. I especially loved character interaction moments like seeing little Mae Mobley and seeing her through the eyes of Aibileen, or the awkward relationship between Minny and Celia. Because the film will certainly be condensed, I wonder what they will trim away. Considering the impressive casting of Aibileen (Viola Davis), Minny (Octavia Spencer), Skeeter (Emma Stone of Paper Man), Celia (Jessica Chastain from The Tree of Life) and Hilly (Bryce Dallas Howard from Hereafter and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse), I'm stumped at what they will let go of but I'm thrilled to see a strong female ensemble cast and to see a book and film filled with womens stories. The film adaptation is Adapted & directed by Tate Taylor (Pretty Ugly People) and will be released August 10, 2011. I'm really looking forward to seeing the adaptation.

If you haven't yet joined the Book to Film Club, you can join us at any time. Sign up for updates here. Our August 2011 book is The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas.

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INTERNATIONAL BOX OFFICE NUMBERS July 31

4:01 PM | Labels: , , , , , , , ,

Three films are now in or projected to be in the $1 billion worldwide box office club: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and Transformers: Dark of the Moon.  Clearly, movies with long titles (not surprisngly blockbuster sequels) are being rewarded and embraced around the world. 


The three films opening in North America this weekend are debuting on the worldwide gross list outside the Top 20: The Smurfs at #27 ($122 million projected total domestic and $4 million overseas to date), Cowboys & Aliens at #34 ($98 million projected domestic total and no overseas gross to date) and Crazy, Stupid, Love at #48 ($72 million projected domestic and no overseas to date). 

Captain America is just getting going overseas and will probably end up at #9, just behind Thor.


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THE BIJOU: Boxoffice Footnotes - July 31

1:32 PM | Labels: , , , , , , , , , , ,


Well, there's something you don't see every day:  2 studios both content to forego bragging rights for the Sunday weekend estimates and wait for actual numbers on Monday, when public attention is lower. (Note:  The Hot Blog, which calculates its own numbers, has COWBOYS & ALIENS up by $100K.)  The important thing to remember is that this tie is only superficially equal:  it's wonderful news for Sony, which in THE SMURFS not only has a profit center but a likely new franchise, while it's terrible for Universal/DreamWorks, which will almost certainly show red ink on Cowboys. 


In a different sector of the boxoffice but nonethelsss gratifying is the overperformance of CRAZY STUPID LOVE, which had a healthy 7% increase on Saturday and beat last week's Friends With Benefits number with $19.3M.  Its main competition over the rest of the summer will be The Help and One Day.

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS (PART 2) hit both its milestones:  it's the highest-grossing Potter in the US, and the 9th movie in history to reach $1B worldwide.  With a global weekend gross of about $80M this week, it's in good shape to become the #3 all-time moneymaker, behind only Avatar and Titanic.  (Transformers 3 is at $985M worldwide and will also reach $1B, but with less potential to get much higher.)

3 quirky international action movies provided the highlights of the limited debuts this weekend:  THE GUARD, THE DEVIL'S DOUBLE and ATTACK THE BLOCK all averaged $16-19K in 4-8 theatres, and all have potential to expand with some success.  SARAH'S KEY handled its first expansion well, with an average of $11K in 33 houses, but ANOTHER EARTH is showing little strrength, with a $5350 average in 20.

Next weekend's big guns are Fox's RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, and Universal's THE CHANGE-UP, both of which have been blanketing the airwaves with promos.  Although they're in different genres, they're aiming at the same young male audience, so it'll be interesting to see how they affect one another. 

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[2011.08.01] CHARMAINE SHEH HAS JOB OFFERS LEFT AND RIGHT

11:29 AM | Labels: , , , ,


Charmaine Sheh, Carol Yeung

courtesy of on.cc

courtesy of singtao.com

courtesy of mingpao.com

courtesy of takungpao.com

The Charmaine Sheh Si Man and Alex Fong Lik Sun starred film LOVE IS THE ONLY ANSWER (YUN YUEK LEI FUN HAU) opened recently and its box office reportedly has been heading toward 5 million. Actors Ah Sheh, Law Chung Hin, Jacqueline Chong Si Man and Carol Yeung Chi Yiu yesterday appeared at a Mongkok cinema for viewer appreciation.

Ah Sheh revealed that the film performed ideally, which made her very happy. She stated, "As far as I know, later the film will be shown in more cinemas." She also expressed that because she has not made a film in a long time, initially she felt very nervous. She honestly said that aside from thanking everyone for their support, she also had to thank director Patrick Kong (Yip Lim Sum) for giving her a chance. As for working together later, she honestly said that earlier the director has already mentioned it. Ah Sheh said, "This film will start production again (sequel) in September, but I have two Mainland series offers. I have to check my schedule."

Was she satisfied with her salary? She stressed that the story mattered more. Ah Sheh said, "Money isn't the most important, I have to look at the story." After leaving TVB her professional opportunities followed one after another. She responded, "Actually they have been pretty much the same, now I just have a little more control."

In addition, Law Chung honestly said that he once worried about becoming the box office poison. He said, "My earlier film MARRIAGE WITH A LIAR (FUN CHIN SI OI) had decent box office. The director said that luckily I wasn't box office poison!" In both films he had many bed scenes, would he accept even more extreme performance next time? Him Jai stated that he has not thought about full frontal. He said, "I have worked with the director twice. I have confidence in him. However my bottom line is being topless, I don't want to go all out just yet. Even if I do I have to see whether the script requires it. I want to wait until I am more mature!"

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[2011.08.01] MICHELLE YE'S ABILITY TO CRY STUNS LOUIS KOO

11:27 AM | Labels: , ,


courtesy of takungpao.com


Michelle Ye (Yip Shuen) is paired up with Louis Koo Tin Lok in OVERHEARD 2 (SIT TING FUNG WON 2). Because in the film Yip Shuen had to go to prison at the hands of her on screen husband Goo Jai, she had to interpret the struggles between love and pain. Yip Shuen's "ability to cry" stunned Goo Jai, who could not help but praise "the Old Lady"!

This was not Yip Shuen and Goo Jai's first collaboration, and the most important to relationship scenes were chemistry and spark. In the film Yip Shuen had many crying scenes. Her tears seemed to flow like she had a tap as she cried on cue. No wonder people on the set made fun of her as a natural crybaby. Even Goo Jai said that he was no match for her. Yip Shuen humbly said, "Anyone else in this character would be able to cry, so it's just that the directors' story is good. Of course, co-star is very important. Goo Jai is able to bring me into character." Yet this time she only worked for a few days. Although Yip Shuen said that her acting bug had its fill, she honestly said that it was not enough. She looked forward very much to working with Koo Tin Lok again. She said, "I am happy to be a part of OVERHEARD 2; but it was just a few short days of acting. If I have the chance I of course would like to work with Goo Jai."

Goo Jai said, "Although I didn't have too many scenes with Yip Shuen, those scenes required proper handling. I had to express the source of our relationship. My favorite scene was bringing Yip Shuen home. We had to talk about our feelings over the years and led up to the final break up. The scene wasn't long, and I didn't have too many lines, but we had to express our helplessness. This scene left a very deep feeling with me."

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WEEKEND STUDIO ESTIMATES: July 29-31

9:18 AM | Labels: , , , ,

Based on Friday and Saturday box office (and estimated Sunday numbers), The Smurfs and Cowboys & Aliens could not have closer opening weekends (both headed for $36.2 million at this point).  We will have to wait to see who wins the weekend crown Monday, when the Sunday actuals are available.  But assuming a weekend tie holds, Smurfs (as a family film) will have a much higher domestic final than Cowboys & Aliens, which will suffer deeper sci-fi drops in coming weeks.  The weekend overall is still looking like it will be up 26% from this weekend last year.    

The ShowbuzzDaily Domestic Final estimates now show that The Smurfs is headed for $122 million, while Cowboys & Aliens is on pace for $98 million and Crazy, Stupid, Love is on track for $72 million.  Captain America: The First Avenger is now headed for $176 million, while Friends with Benefits is still on pace for $63 million.  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 has been adjusted down to $361 million, virtually the same number as Transformers: Dark of the Moon.          


Based on Friday and Saturday actual numbers and studio estimates for Sunday, The Smurfs will average a solid $10,700 per theater at 3,395 theaters (for $36.2 million from Friday-Sunday).  Cowboys & Aliens opened with an average $9,700 at 3,750 theaters ($36.2 million).  Crazy, Stupid, Love will average $6,400 at 3,020 locations ($19.3 million for the weekend).  

The second week decline for Captain America (-62%) is disappointing for Paramount, while most of the other declines for recent releases were more moderate.   



July 29-31, 2011                    Wknd     vs     Showbuzz
(millions)                         Studio   Last    Domestic
                                    Proj.   Wknd     Final* 
The Smurfs               (Sony)     $36.2             $122
Cowboys & Aliens          (Uni)     $36.2             $ 98
Captain America           (Par)     $24.9   -62%      $176--
Harry Potter 8             (WB)     $21.9   -54%      $361
Crazy, Stupid, Love        (WB)     $19.3             $ 72
Friends with Benefits    (Sony)     $ 9.3   -50%      $ 63-
Horrible Bosses            (WB)     $ 7.1   -40%      $120
Transformers 3         (Par/DW)     $ 6.0   -50%      $362
Zookeeper                (Sony)     $ 4.2   -52%      $ 82
Cars 2                    (Dis)     $ 2.3   -59%      $188 
Winnie the Pooh           (Dis)     $ 1.8   -66%      $ 32

Note: The table above summarizes the weekend as of Sunday.  The first column (on which the table is sorted) displays the "studio projection" for each film, based on the Friday and Saturday actual numbers (and a studio-supplied estimate of Sunday).  The second column is the percent decline from the prior weekend.  The final column is a preliminary estimate of the ShowbuzzDaily Domestic Total Gross for the film's complete run in North America.  A "++" indicates the Domestic number has been upgraded; a "--" indicates a downgrade.  


Total Box Office Volume
The Top 12 Films this weekend are looking like $171 million total, up 26% from the same calendar weekend last year when Dinner for Schmucks, Cats & Dogs: Revenge of Kitty Galore and Charlie St. Cloud opened.  

 Top 12 Films: Weekend #30
     Volume     (millions)
2011  $171  (+22% vs 2007-10 average; +26% vs 2010) 

2007-10

Avg   $140
            Movies Opening That Weekend
2010  $136  Dinner for Schmucks $23, Cats & Dogs Revenge $12    
2009  $114  Funny People $23, Aliens in Attic $8
2008  $145  Mummy: Dragon Emperor $40, Swing Vote $8
2007  $165  Bourne Ultimatum $69, Underdog $12
To see the original Weekend Predictions click here.  International numbers will be posted as soon as possible, and Monday we will have official numbers for the Friday-Sunday domestic grosses.

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Book to Film Club July 2011: The Help by Kathryn Stockett

6:12 AM | Labels: , ,

Photobucket

With the end of the month brings the time to reflect back on our book selection for the Book to Film Club!

The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Set in Mississippi during the early 1960s the centred on unlikely friendships and courageous women. That was the description I found when researching, but it's clearly to say it follows the lives of African American maids and the their experiences and challenges working in white households. The book has a unique narrative style of multiple narrators, which I quite enjoyed. The Help was easily one of the most popular & current selections in this years Book to Film Club as it took me quite a bit to get it from the library but thankfully it arrived right in time and I just flew through reading it even during the upheaval of my recent move. That's saying something!

Things to ponder on the book:
  • Did you enjoy reading it?
  • Was it what you were expecting?
  • What did you know about the book before reading it?
  • Did you enjoy the format?
  • What did you think about the writing style?
  • What did you take away from reading the book?
  • Is there anything you would change about the book?
  • Who would you recommend the book to?
About the upcoming film adaptation:
  • How do you feel about the casting of the film?
  • What do you hope to be the focus of the film?
  • What do you think is essential to keep from the book in the film?
  • What do you think they can trim away from the book to the film?
  • What do you think the challenges of the adaptation may be?
  • Do you have any hesitations on the adaptation?
  • What are you most looking forward to about the film adaptation?
If this was a re-read:
  • How did reading it this time compare with your previous time reading it?
  • Did you notice anything different this time round?
  • Did your interest and focus stay on the same characters and moments, or shift?
If you choose to shelf this out one:
  • Was there a barrier (genre, focus, time period, reception) ?
  • Would you consider trying it later?
  • Have you already read it?
  • Will you join us again in August for The Three Musketeers? (I hope you will!)
Book reviews from Book to Film Clubbers:
Shannon

Film Adaptation
The film Stars Emma Stone (Paper Man) as Skeeter, Viola Davis as Aibileen, Octavia Spencer as Minny, Jessica Chastain (The Tree of Life) as Celia and Bryce Dallas Howard as Hilly. Adapted & directed by Tate Taylor (Pretty Ugly People).
Film Release Date: August 10, 2011 (shifted to a Wednesday release date). See the trailer here

If you haven't yet joined the Book to Film Club, you can hop on the fun train at any time! Sign up for updates here. Our next book selection for August 2011 is The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas.

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Book to Film Club July 2011: The Help by Kathryn Stockett

6:12 AM | Labels: , ,

Photobucket

With the end of the month brings the time to reflect back on our book selection for the Book to Film Club!

The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Set in Mississippi during the early 1960s the centred on unlikely friendships and courageous women. That was the description I found when researching, but it's clearly to say it follows the lives of African American maids and the their experiences and challenges working in white households. The book has a unique narrative style of multiple narrators, which I quite enjoyed. The Help was easily one of the most popular & current selections in this years Book to Film Club as it took me quite a bit to get it from the library but thankfully it arrived right in time and I just flew through reading it even during the upheaval of my recent move. That's saying something!

Things to ponder on the book:
  • Did you enjoy reading it?
  • Was it what you were expecting?
  • What did you know about the book before reading it?
  • Did you enjoy the format?
  • What did you think about the writing style?
  • What did you take away from reading the book?
  • Is there anything you would change about the book?
  • Who would you recommend the book to?
About the upcoming film adaptation:
  • How do you feel about the casting of the film?
  • What do you hope to be the focus of the film?
  • What do you think is essential to keep from the book in the film?
  • What do you think they can trim away from the book to the film?
  • What do you think the challenges of the adaptation may be?
  • Do you have any hesitations on the adaptation?
  • What are you most looking forward to about the film adaptation?
If this was a re-read:
  • How did reading it this time compare with your previous time reading it?
  • Did you notice anything different this time round?
  • Did your interest and focus stay on the same characters and moments, or shift?
If you choose to shelf this out one:
  • Was there a barrier (genre, focus, time period, reception) ?
  • Would you consider trying it later?
  • Have you already read it?
  • Will you join us again in August for The Three Musketeers? (I hope you will!)
Book reviews from Book to Film Clubbers:
Shannon

Film Adaptation
The film Stars Emma Stone (Paper Man) as Skeeter, Viola Davis as Aibileen, Octavia Spencer as Minny, Jessica Chastain (The Tree of Life) as Celia and Bryce Dallas Howard as Hilly. Adapted & directed by Tate Taylor (Pretty Ugly People).
Film Release Date: August 10, 2011 (shifted to a Wednesday release date). See the trailer here

If you haven't yet joined the Book to Film Club, you can hop on the fun train at any time! Sign up for updates here. Our next book selection for August 2011 is The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas.

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THE BIJOU: Crazy Stupid Early Weekend Boxoffice

2:05 AM | Labels: , , , , , ,


Deadline has early Saturday and weekend estimates, but they don't clarify much.  As of right now, the claim is that COWBOYS AND ALIENS is at $26.2M for Friday/Saturday, with THE SMURFS at $25.9M.  If those numbers hold, logic would say that Smurfs should have the upper hand with its family Sunday matinee audience, but don't underestimate Universal's powerful incentive to find quarters under the sofa cushions and avoid an embarrassing defeat.  And whatever is declared on Sunday may well be reversed on Monday.

As of now, CRAZY STUPID LOVE is being estimated at exactly the same $18.6M as Friends With Benefits had last week, but with more potential upside in the weeks to come.  (Friends is headed for a 50% drop this weekend.)

With its 62% fall, CAPTAIN AMERICA seems likely to be the #2 superhero movie of the summer domestically, below Thor and above X Men:  First Class (and of course Green Lantern), but if its declines don't slow down, there's a chance it'll fall behind X Men.  As expected, HARRY POTTER should become the #1 film in the franchise domestically by the end of Sunday.  

Be sure to read Mitch Metcalf's analysis of the official weekend estimates and international grosses as soon as they're available later on Sunday.

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THE BIJOU REVIEW: "Point Blank"

10:00 PM | Labels: , , , , , , , ,



POINT BLANK - Worth a Ticket:  A Thrill-Ride with Subtitles

The most gripping Hollywood thriller of the summer is... in French.  (But not for long.)  This isn't a complete surprise:  POINT BLANK's director/co-writer Fred Cavaye may not be a household name, but he made the film Anything For Her, the 96-minute thriller that in classic big studio fashion was dumped with hardly any US release because its remake rights had been acquired--and was then remade by Paul Haggis as the bloated 122-minute flop The Next Three Days.  Point Blank, which is also awaiting US translation, is at least being shown now in its original form.


Point Blank makes Anything For Her look epic in length:  it clocks in at 84 nonstop minutes, including credits.  The scenario, by Cavaye and Guillame Lemans, is a twist on the familiar story of an innocent man caught in circumstances beyond his control.  Gilles Lellouche is Samuel, a nurse's aide at a Paris hospital whose wife Nadia (Elena Anaya) is 7 1/2 months into a difficult pregnancy.  Samuel happens to be on duty when the victim of a motorcycle accident is brought into his ward.  But that man, Sartet (Roschdy Zem), isn't just an accident victim, and Samuel--not even sure what's going on--saves Sartet when men try to murder him in his hospital bed.

After that, things happen very fast.  The people who tried to kill Sartet kidnap Nadia and tell Samuel they'll kill her and the unborn child if Samuel doesn't deliver Sartet to them.  Samuel is willing to cooperate:  Sartet is apparently a murderer himself, and all Samuel cares about is rescuing his family.  But of course nothing is as simple as it seems.  Before long, Samuel is on the run from just about everyone, the subject of some of the most exciting chase scenes this side of a Bourne movie, and trying to figure out just who the good and bad guys are.

Once Point Blank's plotline become clear, it's not the most original story in the world, and given how little time there is to fit in all the twists (Cavaye even manages to squeeze in an epilogue!), the characters aren't exactly drawn in depth.  But Cavaye and Lemans have a few surprises to spring along the way, and Cavaye brings sustained kinetic excitement to the movie; it's a hugely satisfying ride.  Much of this is because Cavaye keeps all the action human-scaled:  there are no CG stunt doubles in the picture, no impossible leaps or unsurvivable explosions.  Chases are edited with sustained shots of actual people, who get short of breath when they have to run and who are clever without being masterminds.  Those kinds of movies used to be the bread and butter of Hollywood thrillers, but in this world of massively budgeted, overheated fantasies, they've almost disappeared.  Point Blank is an electrifying reminder of how much fun this genre can be.

Point Blank isn't an actors' movie, but Lellouche, Zem, Anaya and Gerard Lanvin as an enigmatic cop are all convincing, with performances that smooth out many of the bumps in their pencilled-in characters.  As for Cavaye, on the one hand one wishes he'd get the chance to direct a Hollywood movie himself--on the other, it's easy to fear that if he had a $100M budget to play with, he might get as lazy as the rest of the big-studio crew.  For now, Point Blank is definitely worth chasing after--catch it before Hollywood screws it up.

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[2011.07.31] MICHAEL TSE WORKS ON ANOTHER FILM WITH TELEVISION TIES

3:20 PM | Labels:

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courtesy of mingpao.com

Michael Tse performs on THE VOICE 3 with hosts Sammy and Krystal Tin Yui Nei and reveals that he practices singing in the bathroom so no one complains.
courtesy of takungpao.com

Michael Tse Ting Wa yesterday was a guest performer on THE VOICE 3 at Television City and performed the YOUNG AND DANGEROUS (GOO WAT JAI) film theme song. Tin Wa said that he wanted to encourage the contestants, he did not want to scare them or make them nervous.

Tin Wa now is mainly an actor. In September he will make another film, which will be related to his series LIVES OF OMISSION (CHIM HUNG JUI GIK) but it will not tightly follow the series release because the film still needed post production work.

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[2011.07.31] DEREK YEE JOKES THAT ZHOU XUN IS A WILLING VICTIM

3:16 PM | Labels: , , , , , , , ,

Andrew Lau, Derek Yee, Manfred Wong hope to cultivate the next generation of directors

courtesy of mingpao.com

courtesy of takungpao.com

Hong Kong Film Directors' Guild sold its old location in Ho Man Tin for a good price then purchase a new and larger location in Kwung Tong. Yesterday it held a relocation worship ceremony. Attendees included current Film Directors' Guild president Derek Yee Tung Sing,
vice presidents Andrew Lau Wai Keung, Manfred Wong (Man Jun), Alex Law Kai Yui and secretary general Mabel Cheung Yuen Ting.

Siu Bo revealed that the old location sold for a good price and even had money left over, which hopefully would be able to maintain the organization's financial condition. Since the organization's establishment in 1989, its membership has already grown to over 250 people. However most have already retired and only 30 to 40 people are still truly making movies. As for the new location, Man Jun said that companies of Andy Lau Tak Wa, Peter Chan Ho Sun, Lau Wai Keung and others were in the same district. The feeling was that it was like the film industry's Hollywood. Now some of the Film Directors' Guild new location will be provided for the offices of the Federation of Hong Kong Filmmakers. Siu Bo also said that although there was competition between directors, he still hoped that friendship came first as they protect director interests together and hopefully cultivate the next generation of director successors.

As for the recently piping hot Nicholas Tse Ting Fung and Cecilia Cheung Pak Chi marriage troubles, Siu Bo said that with love and children involved the matter was very hard to comment on. He thought that Ting Fung and Pak Chi were still young. Siu Bo also worried that outside reports would affect how they would handle problems and hoped that they would handle them in peace. When Pak Chi made her comeback she turned down Siu Bo's new film and caused some unpleasantness. Would Siu Bo ask Pak Chi to perform again in the future? Siu Bo said, "There wasn't any unpleasantness at all, this is minor. Film productions is also about fate, everyone has the right to choose." Siu Bo's new film THE GREAT MAGICIAN (DAI MOR SHOOK SI) is in its post production stage and planned for a Lunar New Year release. Lead actress Zhou Xun joked that Siu Bo swindled her because she thought she would be in a romance with two Best Actors Tony Leung Chiu Wai and Lau Ching Wan, so she agreed to perform without reading the script. She did not expect to fight from the beginning to the end of the movies. Siu Bo said that Zhou Xun had a lot of fun on the set because she was able to work with her favorites Wai Jai and Ching Wan. In addition they in the film would fight over her. Siu Bo also praised Zhou Xun as very special, getting along great with Wai Jai and Ching Wan. In addition she absolutely had no star arrogance.

Cheung Yuen Ting revealed that she was planning a new film that would take place in the 40s and the 50s. The family of a little guy escaped from Anhui to Hong Kong and struggled to survive. The around 30 year old lead would have two sons and thus needed to have a mature and masculine weathered flavor. She would like Ting Fung to play the role. Ting Fung has already read the script but they needed to work out the details.

Would Ting Fung's marriage troubles help with his performance? Cheung Yuen Ting said, "Life experience would more or less benefit the performance, I of course don't want anything to happen to his family. (Ting Fung is already in the Best Actor class, has his salary climbed?) I am not responsible for dealing with that."

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[2011.07.30] ALEX FONG LIK SUN PLAYS COWARDLY TO CHALLENGE HIMSELF

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courtesy of singtao.com


Alex Fong Lik Sun two days ago attended the film FLASH PLAY (JI MING SIM WAN) press conference. Siu Fong in the film played the male lead A De. The film company revealed that Fong Lik Sun's handsome and trendy exterior and decent recent performances caught its eyes. During the initial cast unveiling, a special teaming of two generations of comedy stars took place. At the magician's detailed set up and arrangement, Siu Fong appeared from behind a mysterious magic door and surprised everyone.

As for his character in the film, Siu Fong said that this time was a break through in his performance career. He said, "This character is very different from before, which to me is rather challenging. This character I play in the film is somewhat cowardly. Although he looks
handsome and cool, he lacks a sense of security inside. He is someone who is conflicted. This character needs very detailed emotional performance, which to me is an elevation in acting."

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I Am Number Four: The Lost Files: Six's Story

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The Book I Am Number Four will always hold a special place in my heart as it was the first book & film selection for the 2011 Movie Moxie Book to Film Club, and I thoroughly enjoyed both the book and the film. I broke a few rules including it, like it being part of a series but some rules are meant to be broken and right now feels like the perfect time to enjoy the breaking of that rule because this week something new popped up for the series: I Am Number Four: The Lost Files: Six's Legacy was released earlier this week, exclusively in eBook format. The novella is from the character of Six's perspective and takes place before the event of I Am Number Four, and I am a huge fan of the character of Six (especially in the film), so I'm very curious to see what the novella will bring to the story.

You can also sign up for weekly updates with journal entries from the character of Sarah over at I Am Number Four Fans leading up until the anticipated release of The Power of Six on August 23, 2011. Lots of reading to dive into, which is always good news!

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I Am Number Four: The Lost Files: Six's Story

2:00 PM | Labels:

Photobucket Photobucket

The Book I Am Number Four will always hold a special place in my heart as it was the first book & film selection for the 2011 Movie Moxie Book to Film Club, and I thoroughly enjoyed both the book and the film. I broke a few rules including it, like it being part of a series but some rules are meant to be broken and right now feels like the perfect time to enjoy the breaking of that rule because this week something new popped up for the series: I Am Number Four: The Lost Files: Six's Legacy was released earlier this week, exclusively in eBook format. The novella is from the character of Six's perspective and takes place before the event of I Am Number Four, and I am a huge fan of the character of Six (especially in the film), so I'm very curious to see what the novella will bring to the story.

You can also sign up for weekly updates with journal entries from the character of Sarah over at I Am Number Four Fans leading up until the anticipated release of The Power of Six on August 23, 2011. Lots of reading to dive into, which is always good news!

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THE BIJOU: Boxofffice Smurfnotes - July 30

1:42 PM | Labels: , , , , , , , , , , ,


There's no way to slice or dice the numbers for COWBOYS AND ALIENS and make them any less sad.  The picture cost at least $165M (that's the amount Universal will admit to), plus another $150M or so for worldwide marketing, and as Mitch Metcalf notes, it's now on track to gross less than $100M in the US.  Oh, and traditionally, westerns are among the toughest sells overseas.  


So the movie is a loser, badly marketed and not all that entertaining (my review is here).  What does that mean for the people involved?  Not as much as you'd think:  over the next couple of years, Daniel Craig will have James Bond and Girl With the Dragon Tattoo franchises to keep him warm; Harrison Ford retains his screen legend status (although as with Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts, it's now more of an Emeritus title); Olivia Wilde isn't closely enough identified with the movie for it to do her any damage; director Jon Favreau may want to make nice to Marvel and return to Iron Man for the next installment; producer Steven Spielberg is still Steven Spielberg (although his 2 holiday-season movies may now be scrutinized more closely).  Ron Howard's dream of directing the massive Dark Tower series may have taken a further hit (who would want to hand him hundreds of millions for another fantasy western?), but DreamWorks bears the brunt of the financial impact, covering 50% of the budget, and they'll need The Help, Real Steel and War Horse to perform in the next few months.

Cowboys' humiliation, of course, is made infinitely worse by the unexpected power of THE SMURFS at the boxoffice.  With Smurfs in the lead on Friday, it's hard to imagine a scenario where it doesn't win the weekend (or to be more cynical, hard to imagine such a scenario that would survive the release of Actuals on Monday).  The movie certainly didn't make its money off good reviews (or, probably, off the star value of Neil Patrick Harris)--that goofy brand just turned out to have some punch in it even after all these years.  And international markets love 3D family movies even more than the US does, so Smurfs should do very well abroad.  Other than Sony, the happiest studio of the weekend:  Disney, which has its Muppets revamp opening for Thanksgiving.  (Most nervous studio:  Paramount, which currently has Martin Scorsese's 3D family movie Hugo opening on the same day.)

CRAZY STUPID LOVE opened just slightly below Friends With Benefits' Friday last week, and with its appeal to an older audience (and higher quality--my rave is here) has a chance to do better than Friends' 3% decline last Saturday.  Although there's another comedy opening on Friday, The Change-Up will be going after a younger, more male crowd, so Crazy should be able to linger in theatres.

CAPTAIN AMERICA didn't benefit from the collapse of Cowboys, and its 61% drop dwarfs the 48% that Thor fell on its 2d weekend.  (However, with kids out of school in July, the Captain midweek numbers have been better than Thor's.)  As we've noted before, the real verdict on Captain won't be known until it reaches wide international release.

By the end of the weekend, HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS (PART 2) may hit 2 historic milestones:  in the US, it should become the most successful of the Potter franchise, beating Sorcerer's Stone's $317M take; and worldwide, it should be the only film in the series to reach the magic $1B mark (and only the 9th in film history).  The 2 remaining boxoffice questions for the film:  can it beat Transformers 3 in the US for #1 movie of the summer?  (It has a good chance, because the tiring Transformers will start to shed theatres quickly in the next few weeks.)  And can it beat the last Lord of the Rings' $1.12B to become the #3 film worldwide of all time--and the highest not directed by James Cameron?  (Again, if international numbers hold up, the odds are with it.)

Along with the limited release numbers Mitch Metcalf reported earlier, it's worth noting that Miranda July's somewhat esoteric THE FUTURE is riding some great reviews for an impressive $30K in one NY theatre, while the extremely entertaining French film POINT BLANK will probably make an underwhelming $5K in each of 6.  SARAH'S KEY expanded to 37 theatres and should hit a not bad $9K in each, but ANOTHER EARTH faltered with its expansion to 20 theatres, with only about $5500 in each.  Worst of the expanders was SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN, which added 50% more theatres but still fell for the weekend, with its per-theatre down to around $2K.

Next weekend is, in a sense, the last big studio weekend of the summer, with the final mega-movie in RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES.  After that, August will be filled out by 3D epics like the new CONAN (and not about the talk-show host, which might have been more fun), a FRIGHT NIGHT remake, a SPY KIDS sequel/reboot, a GLEE concert picture, and FINAL DESTINATION 5.  So bad news if you don't like wearing those plastic glasses.


 

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[2011.07.30] LINDA WONG GETS MEAN TO KEEP AN EYE ON HER FATHER

1:33 PM | Labels: , ,

courtesy of mingpao.com


courtesy of takungpao.com

Linda Wong Hing Ping yesterday attended a skin care product event. Despite the category 3 typhoon warning, guests still dressed up for the event. Linda's father Jimmy Wang Yu earlier suffered a stroke and recently has already recovered and released from the hospital. Earlier she even attended the WU XIA premiere with her father and walked the red carpet together, which was very memorable for her.

Linda pointed out that earlier her father already asked the film company to let him attend the premiere because this was his wish. Director Peter Chan Ho Sun respected their family's intent and asked for permission before permitting Wang Yu to attend. Wong Hing Ping pointed out that actually when her father said that he wanted to go, she as a daughter could not stop him. Yet this time was very memorable for her. When her father was making movies, she was still very little. When she got into the business, her father no longer made movies.

Linda praised her father's outstanding performance in the film, many people praised him as well. However she still had to adjust a little because her father mostly played good guys before. Now her father could no longer drink. When they dined with friends and her father had a glass of red wine in front of him, she would immediately yell at him to keep him from drinking it. She joked that she has never been so mean to her father in her life. She said that her father rarely turned anyone down, so many friends and family all agreed for her to be a little meaner to keep him from drinking.

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[2011.07.30] NO BEST ACTOR PRICE HIKE FOR JUNO MAKE

1:33 PM | Labels: , , , , , , , , , ,

Juno Mak wins Puchon Best Actor


Josie Ho recognizes long ago that Juno Mak can act

Willie Chan (third left) celebrates Juno Mak's success

Juno Mak and director Wong Ching Po (right) get space shuttle models from Josie Ho and Chan Chi Chung
courtesy of on.cc

courtesy of singtao.com

courtesy of mingpao.com

courtesy of takungpao.com

Juno Mak Chun Lung with REVENGE A LOVE STORY (FUK SAU JEH JI SEI) at the 15th Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival won the Best Actor award. Director Wong Ching Po also at the 33rd Moscow International Film Festival won Best Director. The film company yesterday held a celebration for them. Willie Chan Chi Keung, Stanley Kwan Kam Peng, and executive producers Josie Ho Chiu Yi and Chan Chi Chung attended.

Juno honestly said that he was very happy about his first film award. He said that at the time because he did not understand Korean and his near sightedness kept him from reading the English subtitles. He only learned that he won when the director screamed. He said, "I never thought about winning because the competition was very strong. At that moment I didn't know how to react. The funniest part was, after I gave my speech in Mandarin I realized that they didn't have a Mandarin translator. Later I gave it again in English, it was like winning twice." Juno also thanked his god father Chan Chi Keung and Chiu Yi. Because of REVENGE's daring subject, finding an investor was difficult. Luckily Chiu Yi agreed after reading the script. Would Juno get a raise after winning Best Actor? He said that was up to his god father. Chan Chi Keung felt that Juno should widen his range right now and could think about salaries later. Juno would like to develop a film career with his god father's experience, he would also like to direct if the opportunity would present itself. Has he shared the news with his father? He said, "I look forward to showing the award to my family! My parents and my brother are very happy too!"

Ho Chiu Yi felt elated from the film's overseas successes. Because award winners have always been major feature films, she did not expect that a horror film would win. She praised the jury and even Juno for a performance that was a pleasant surprise to her. Unfortunately he was not nominated for a Hong Kong Film Award for Best New Actor. She said, "Maybe the genre made his nomination impossible, luckily he won overseas." Will Chiu Yi still mainly make bloody and violent films? She said that the theme would "explosive" and extreme. With the success of this film, Chiu Yi said that she has not have the time to tell her father yet. In addition Chan Chi Keung announced that the new direction of the film company that he and Juno founded, including the already completed Juno, Pat Ha Man Jik, Stephy Tang Lai Yun, Jimmy Wang Yu, Gary Chaw (Cho Gat) starred new film LET'S GO (BO WAI JIN DUI ji CHOOK DUNG LA! PUNG YAU!), the next film will be a collaboration with Kwan Kam Peng.

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[2011.07.30] MRS. HEUNG CLAIMS CECILIA CHEUNG IS MOODY

1:31 PM | Labels: , ,

courtesy of takungpao.com


Chan Lan, Mrs. Charles Heung Wa Keung, was a guest on a cable talk show recently. On the program she urged Cecilia Cheung Pak Chi to pay attention her mood and attitude at work. She also said that for her son's career, he would not permitted to get married in the next ten years.

Speaking of Cheung Pak Chi's marriage troubles, Mrs. Heung sighed, "It's very unfortunately, actually tolerance is the most important." Mrs. Heung said that Pak Chi's mood and work attitude indeed affected her family. "Pak Chi earlier brought her son Lucas to my home and said that she was free to make a movie. Finally I found a director, who complained that she was whining about hard work, cold weather and she didn't take my calls." She wholeheartedly offered Pak Chi some advice, "You have to be professional at work, since you took the role you have to go no matter what." However, Mrs. Heung still treated Pak Chi like her own daughter. She said that as long as the character was suitable she definitely would approach Pak Chi.

After making countless film industry superstars, Mrs. Heung would not help her son Jacky Heung Jor. She said, "If I make him a star, others would suspect that he relies on his parents. If he doesn't make it, then he drags me down with him! I might as well let him try his own luck." She also said that she has no opinion about her son's relationship but made him promise that in order for him to focus on career development and saving up fans, he was not permitted to wed in the next ten years. However Gor Gor Leslie Cheung Kwok Wing probably hurt Mrs. Heung the
most. Mrs. Heung recalled, "That day around 5PM I got a call from Gor Gor, he said that he didn't have depression, wasn't possessed, and even asked me to set up a press conference for him to clarify. Then in less than a hour, the news of his suicide came." Mrs. Heung was still teary eyed as she recalled that day. She said that Gor Gor still lived in her heart, like a friend who she has not seen in a long time.

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FRIDAY JULY 29 BOX OFFICE RESULTS

9:49 AM | Labels: , , , , , , , , , ,

Holy Smurfs!  The Smurfs will exceed their estimate and Cowboys & Aliens is falling short of its prediction enough to put the two films on a course for a photo-finish at the end of the weekend.  Both films look like they will open around $36 million.  Crazy, Stupid, Love looks like $18.5 million, somewhat ahead of its forecast.  Overall, the weekend is up 26% versus the same weekend last year.   

The Smurfs should open way above forecast ($13.3 million Friday with an estimated $36 million opening weekend, compared to a $23 million prediction).  The Smurfs is on track for $122 million in North America.


Cowboys & Aliens is opening below forecast (over $13 million Friday for an expected $35.5 million this weekend versus a $41.5 million forecast).  In case you missed them, click here to see this week's Weekend Predictions.  Cowboys & Aliens is headed for $96 million in North America when it crosses the finish line, according to the ShowBuzzDaily Domestic Final estimate (a massive miss for all the studios involved -- see Box Office Footnotes for more on that later today). International numbers will be in our overseas round-up late Sunday.  And see Mitch Salem's review of Cowboys & Aliens.  

Crazy, Stupid, Love will exceed its forecast somewhat.  The PG13 comedy is expected to reach $18.5 million this weekend, above the $16 million prediction.  The film is headed for $70 million total in North America.  Read Mitch Salem's review of Crazy, Stupid, Love. 

Captain America should drop a disappointing 61% from its opening, and the film has been downgraded to $178 million.  Also in its second weekend, Friends with Benefits is looking like it will fall a more reasonable 46%.  Finally, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 and Transformers: Dark of the Moon now are on track for the identical Domestic Final, $362 million.     

July 29-31, 2011        Pre-Wknd    Wknd            Showbuzz
(millions)              Showbuzz    Early   Friday  Domestic
                        Forecast    Proj.   Actual   Final*
The Smurfs (Sony)        [$23  ]    $36.0   $13.3     $122
Cowboys & Aliens (Uni)   [$41.5]    $35.5   $13.0     $ 96
Captain America (Par)    [$32  ]    $25.5   $ 7.9     $178-
Harry Potter 8  (WB)     [$22  ]    $22.5   $ 6.6     $362
Crazy, Stupid, Love (WB) [$16  ]    $18.5   $ 6.6     $ 70
Friends w/ Benefits Sony [$10  ]    $10.0   $ 3.2     $ 66 
Horrible Bosses (WB)     [$ 7.5]    $ 7.2   $ 2.2     $120
Transformers 3  (Par/DW) [$ 6.5]    $ 6.0   $ 1.7     $362
Zookeeper (Sony)         [$ 5.5]    $ 4.2   $ 1.4     $ 82
Cars 2 (Dis)             [$ 3  ]    $ 2.4   $ 0.7     $188
Winnie the Pooh (Dis)    [$ 3  ]    $ 1.8   $ 0.5     $ 32


Note: The table above summarizes an early look at the weekend.  The first column is a reminder of each film's ShowbuzzDaily Forecast for the weekend (in brackets).  The second column, on which the films are sorted, displays the new weekend projection for each film, based on the Friday numbers (the third column).  The final column is a preliminary estimate of the ShowbuzzDaily Domestic Total number for the film's total run in North America.  A "++" indicates the Domestic number has been upgraded; a "--" indicates a downgrade. 

Limited Releases 


Some solid openings at the art house:  The Devil's Double (drama from Lionsgate) should average $22,100 this weekend at five locations, Attack the Block (sci-fi comedy from Sony/Screen Gems) should average $18,900 at eight locations, and The Guard (from Sony Classics) should average $18,500 at four theaters.  On the other hand, Life in a Day (documentary from National Geographic Entertainment) should average a weak $4,600 for the weekend at 11 locations.


Total Box Office Volume

The Top 12 Films this weekend are looking like $171 million total, up 26% from the same calendar weekend last year when Dinner for Schmucks, Cats & Dogs: Revenge of Kitty Galore and Charlie St. Cloud opened.  

 Top 12 Films: Weekend #30

     Volume     (millions)
2011  $171  (+22% vs 2007-10 average; +26% vs 2010) 

2007-10

Avg   $140  
            Movies Opening That Weekend
2010  $136  Dinner for Schmucks $23, Cats & Dogs Revenge $12    
2009  $114  Funny People $23, Aliens in Attic $8
2008  $145  Mummy: Dragon Emperor $40, Swing Vote $8
2007  $165  Bourne Ultimatum $69, Underdog $12

Next Weekend

Opening next week are Rise of the Planet of the Apes from Fox and The Change-Up from Universal.  Those movies will be compared to The Other Guys ($35.5 million opening weekend) and Step Up 3-D ($16 million), making next weekend a possible up weekend versus 2010. 

Look for updates of the weekend box office on Sunday, based on the Saturday actual numbers. 

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